IN THE NEWS
EDINBURGH’S NEW TAXI TEST CENTRE £1.3 MILLION OVER BUDGET AND ALMOST A YEAR LATE
A new council testing facility for taxis and PHVs in Edinburgh is £1.3m over budget and running almost a year behind schedule, an investigation by the LDRS has revealed. The new South Gyle centre, intended to replace the restricted Murrayburn facility, has seen its cost spiral from an estimated £1m in February 2023 to £2.3m by September 2025. Sources blamed the delay on significant issues, including “concrete work
having to be
redone and the facility not having enough electricity.”
All the while, staff at the current
Murrayburn testing centre, where part of the building was declared unsafe in late 2022, have been “getting overtime pay to deal with capacity issues.” Council bosses acknowledged the spiralling costs but attributed the initial increase to the project’s original cost being based on “pre- Covid estimates.” They also stated that upgrades to the power supply infrastructure “had been included in plans from the start.” The mounting expense has drawn criticism, with SNP finance spokesperson, Cllr Stuart Dobbin, saying the council had “serious
questions to answer” over the project’s spiralling cost. Insiders say a new centre is “sorely needed” due to capacity restrict- ions at Murrayburn, which has had only two ramps since November 2022. Council chiefs admit the current wait for new vehicle tests is “currently eight weeks.” Regulatory convener, Lib Dem Cllr Neil Ross, said he was conscious of the “frustration” the delay was causing, due to “issues arising from the pandemic and the complexity of the works”, conclud- ing: “We’ll do everything to ensure the process is completed promptly.”
HEREFORDSHIRE COUNCILLOR ACCUSES LOCAL TAXI FIRMS OF RIPPING OFF THE COUNCIL
A Herefordshire county councillor has levelled a serious “ripping off” accusation against local taxi firms, claiming they are overcharging the council for school transport at a time of rising financial pressure. Non-aligned councillor Jim Kenyon told a full council meeting that “unscrupulous” firms have been charging “up to four times what you’d pay on the meter to get our children to school.” He warned: “I want to put the taxis on notice... they’ve had it too good for too long and it’s ripping off (the council).” He also suggested the high profitability of this work means some companies “will do school runs and that’s it,” leading to a lack of available taxis for other residents. Council leader Cllr Jonathan Lester confirmed the council spends an
38
“extremely high” £7 million a year on taxis - out of a £13 million school transport budget. He defended the council’s position by noting it had “to react to
increased
demand” for transport. He added that any cost-saving strategy “needs detailed negotiation with individuals – you can’t just flick a switch. We don’t want a situation where that capacity dries up or is not viable.” The claims were echoed by former taxi firm owner Lyndon Gore, who claimed some “unscrupulous” firms “charge what they want for school work,”
then allegedly
subcontract the jobs for less. He argued that instead of setting a rate, the council is simply saying, “give me a price.” Cllr Pete
Stoddart, cabinet member for finance and corporate
services, stated the council is undertaking a “comprehensive review of our home-to-school transport services.” He detailed immediate actions, including “direct engagement with taxi companies to renegotiate contracts and reduce costs, including minimising single- occupancy journeys.” Other measures include new plan- ning software, reviewing transport policies for SEND children, and exploring in-house fleet options. Cllr Stoddart concluded that like many councils, Herefordshire “has faced growing demands and rising costs in this area, which is why we are acting urgently... No final decisions have been made, and we remain committed to working transparently and constructively with all stakeholders.”
DECEMBER 2025 PHTM
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